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Robert Cumming was not the first art critic to be puzzled by Filippino Lippi’s famous 15th century painting Virgin and Child. It depicts Mary cradling the infant Jesus on her knee with two saints, Dominic and Jerome, praying in the foreground. But the picture’s perspective seems all wrong. The hills in the background look as if […] The post Viewpoint appeared first on Turn the Page.

In the blockbuster movie Gladiator, Maximus is a Roman General betrayed by Caesar’s son Commodus. Reduced to slavery Maximus fights to survive and eventually comes face to face with Commodus once more at the Colosseum in Rome. He has worn a mask to fight but Commodus commands him to reveal his identity. Maximus turns, removes […] The post Hidden hero appeared first on Turn the Page.

While he may have jumped before he was pushed it was refreshing to hear Humza Yousaf’s speech as he stepped down as First Minister of Scotland. Firstly, he admitted that he had made a mistake and secondly, he said he wasn’t willing to trade his values or principles simply to stay in power. He also […] The post Servant hearted leaders appeared first on Turn the Page.

How on earth did St George end up as the patron saint of England? Legend has it that he was born in the third century to Greek Christian parents. A soldier in the Roman army he rose to become a member of the Praetorian guard under Emperor Diocletian but was then martyred for refusing to […] The post Why George? appeared first on Turn the Page.

At the beginning of William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies a party of school children are stranded on a desert island without any adults. For the first time in their lives, they can do as they please. The prospect of being able to indulge in unbridled freedom brings a previously unknown joy. Sadly, their […] The post Building paradise appeared first on Turn the Page.

Being in the right place at the right time is all it takes to lift someone from obscurity to fame. Take for example Wyckoff van Derhoef. He happened to be in Belfast and needing passage home to New York at the same time the RMS Titanic was preparing to leave for Southampton. Setting sail on […] The post Famous by association appeared first on Turn the Page.

On the morning of 16th March 1912, Captain Lawrence Oates walked out of his tent in the Antarctic and into temperatures of -400C. He was suffering from frostbite and gangrene and was slowing the expedition down. His parting words were “I may be some time”, but he knew he was going to die, and this act […] The post I may be some time appeared first on Turn the Page.

Made famous by Kevin Costner’s film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, the Sycamore Gap tree stood for 300 years. That was until persons unknown decided to cut it down. Over the years thousands had made the journey to Hadrian’s Wall to take its photo and to have their photo taken with it. So, the shock […] The post Life from death appeared first on Turn the Page.

Where I live I am surrounded by beautiful countryside and there are lots of walks to choose from. So over the years my family and I have developed a short hand way of referring to them. If I return from a walk and say that I have been ‘Under the A23’, or that I did […] The post Short hand appeared first on Turn the Page.

With depressing regularity, we discover the devastating impact of our failure to look after God’s creation. With our backs turned toward God and His image in us faded, we exploit rather than steward His wonderful world. This time it is the turn of the humble donkey. First domesticated in Kenya and the Horn of Africa […] The post King of beasts appeared first on Turn the Page.

This week Dr Georgia Carroll is preparing to deliver the keynote address at a conference in Melbourne, Australia. The conference has attracted global interest from academic institutions across the globe. The subject of this symposium? The stunning popularity and influence of the pop star Taylor Swift. With world leaders begging her to tour their countries […] The post Godlike superstars appeared first on Turn the Page.

Last week a lawsuit was lodged in the Delhi High Court. The case in question concerns a dispute over which family can lay claim to direct lineage to the creator of one of India’s most popular dishes – butter chicken!  Over seventy years ago the owner of an open-air diner needed to use up leftover […] The post Taste and see appeared first on Turn the Page.

For prospective homeowners nothing beats the sight of watching a new-build house rise from the ground. Rather less exciting is watching it disappear again. Such was the experience for many of those buying houses on the Darwin Green estate on the outskirts of Cambridge. Of dozens of houses that were built 83 were found to […] The post Firm foundations appeared first on Turn the Page.

With freezing temperatures I’m wondering whether I might wake up one morning to a blanket of snow outside. Only it wouldn’t be a blanket but billions of individual ice crystals lying together. And while they might all look the same each one would in fact be unique. The atmospheric conditions through which they had fallen […] The post You’re a snowflake! appeared first on Turn the Page.

Most of us wake up each morning confident that we will see the end of the day. But sometimes something happens to remind us that that might not always be the case. Still reeling from the recent earthquake Japan is now confronted with another tragedy. A coastguard plane carrying aid has collided with a passenger […] The post Vanishing mist appeared first on Turn the Page.

When it comes to wrapping presents there are different schools of thought. Some opt for a plain and simple approach with nice paper, neatly wrapped; some like to add ribbons and bows that look very pretty; and some dispense with wrapping altogether and just pop the gift in a pretty bag. In the end, of […] The post Wrapping things up appeared first on Turn the Page.

Despite its stirring theme tune one of our favourite Christmas movies, The Great Escape, is a tragic tale. It tells the story of Allied airmen who tunnelled their way out of Stalag Luft III during World War Two. Of the 76 who escaped only three made it back to England and of the rest fifty […] The post Searching for evidence appeared first on Turn the Page.

Many years ago, my brother and sister were at Victoria station waiting for a train to Brighton. They sat on a bench watching a train on the platform and as it began to pull out my sister turned to my brother and said, ‘I think we could have got that one.’ History doesn’t record my […] The post Don’t get left behind appeared first on Turn the Page.

With our Black Friday deals in the bag and Advent calendars ready to be opened we’re all set for the final push to Christmas. But while the days may be getting shorter that can’t be said for our to-do lists. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be writing cards, buying and wrapping gifts and stocking […] The post What are we waiting for? appeared first on Turn the Page.

By the spring of 1621 only half of the Pilgrims who had arrived aboard the Mayflower were still alive, and their chances of survival seemed slim. But providence was on their side. Seemingly by chance they happened upon an Abenaki Indian by the name of Squanto. To their surprise he not only spoke English but […] The post Thanksgiving and kindness appeared first on Turn the Page.